“Men are born,
Kings are made.
Treaties are signed,
Wars are fought.
Every country has its own problems.
Let us bind our wounds…
and live together in peace.” – Fela Kuti from “Viva Nigeria.”
There was a man who once thrived in Africa; he was a man that would create his own musical genre, create his own political party, and even make his mother a goddess. Though he was from Nigeria, and he was very passionate about his heritage, he called for a united Africa. His name was Fela Anikulapo Kuti, but you may call him “Fela.” He was supremely influential in Nigeria’s music, politics, and religion, but, today, his influence reaches farther than he may have ever known. He was as James Brown was to African-Americans and what Robert Nesta Marley was to Jamaicans: a multi-talented leader of a new school of thought that sparked a cultural revolution.
He was born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti in Nigeria in 1938; his father was a Protestant preacher and school principal, his mother was a communist militant in the Nigerian independence movement (she had even once met Mao Zedong).[i] His family was comfortably middle-class, and he was afforded the opportunity to study in London at the Trinity College of Music in the early 1960s. At this point in his life, Fela’s passion was music; he had not yet developed his firm political and societal views.
He would develop these views on a trip to the United States of America in 1969. During this very important trip, he visited Los Angeles during the prime of the Black Power Movement; the city was still recovering from the Watts riots of 1965 (the most severe riots to occur in Los Angeles until the Rodney King-related riots during the spring of 1992). While in Los Angeles, Fela would meet Black Panthers and read Malcolm X’s autobiography several times. It was at this time that he would write his first protest songs, and, more importantly, he would gain a true understanding of what he believed it meant to be African.
When he returned to Nigeria, he would change his name to Fela Anikulapo Kuti because he felt his old name, specifically “Ransome,” was a slave name. Upon his return, Nigeria was in the middle of the Biafran-Nigerian War. Before they drew out their borders, European and Arab colonialists had failed to take into account the varying ethnic and tribal communities that lived within Africa. Ethnic groups were suddenly split and divided against each other. Thus, immediately after his return from the racial conflicts of the United States, he would see brutal black-on-black killing in Nigeria that left close to three million Nigerians dead.
It was after witnessing this civil war that he really began to form his political identity. In his documentary, Fela says, “This country is a Gestapo country… How can Nigeria be talking about South Africa? South Africa is better than Nigeria, I know so.”[ii] He felt this way because in South Africa, the white-on-black violence would be sure to face criticism; however, in Nigeria, he said, “We are painted as the best country in Africa (by the U.S.) — Nigeria is the worst African country.”[iii] He said this for two reasons: first, the West always attempted to paint a pretty picture of Nigeria because of its ties to Nigeria’s oil; secondly, black-on-black violence was rampant in Nigeria, due to the civil war. Black-on-black violence, Fela said, was the worst kind.
Shortly thereafter, he began pumping out powerful, uplifting protest songs. His musical style was completely unique to anything coming out of Africa at the time. Inspired by a musician named Geraldo Pino,[iv] from Sierra Leone, Fela took Pino’s James Brown-style performance and transformed it into something completely different. Fela played many instruments, but favored the saxophone and trumpet.
He wrote and composed all of his band’s tunes. His performances featured a large ensemble of a handful of backup singers, several percussionists, a horn section, and Fela on lead vocals (usually, with his saxophone attached to him like a necklace). His songs are distinguished by a vibrant, staccato horn section, highly syncopated drums and rhythm section, funk-style guitars, call and response lyrics, and a lengthy, jam session-style format. He sung a few songs in his native Yoruba tongue, but he mainly sang in Nigerian pidgin (a mixture of English and traditional Nigerian language). He released hit album after hit album, usually, multiple albums per year; he would call his style: “Afro-beat.” Little did he know, his music’s influence would reach the farthest corners of the world – but it is not yet time to speak of this great influence.According to Fela, “Music is a spiritual thing… You don’t play with music because if you play with music, you will die young.”[v] Fela did not make his music for monetary or person gain, he believed his music was made for the traditional African gods and for the people of Africa. He said, “When the higher forces give you the gift of musicianship it must be well-used for the good of humanity; (it must not be used) for your own self by deceiving people.”[vi]
His music attracted audiences from all over Nigeria, and, eventually, from many distant regions of Africa. He enjoyed successful tours in Europe, and even recorded with Ginger Baker (the drummer for the legendary British rock band Cream). Soon, he began to attract followers who were not only interested in his music – he began to attract followers interested in his message.
He strongly believed in a return to African roots and called for Nigerians and Africans to unite against the true oppressors: the colonialists and imperialists that had looted and raped Africa. His calls for a united Africa mainly identified with the pan-African movement. He used words like “Africanism” and “Blackism” to describe his ideology. His following grew so enormous that he created his own political party: the Movement of the People, or M.O.P. He had plans to run for President of Nigeria, but, of course, the government was not his biggest fan.
For over a decade, he lived in the same suburb, in his own compound called the “Kalakuta Republic.” Affectionately known as the “Kalakuta Kingdom” by his faithful followers, the Republic was a mansion constructed of stone walls and surrounded by huts. On the first level were barracks for Fela, his mother, his lieutenants, and his wives (who numbered as high as 27 at one point in time). Beside it were sets of huts for bodyguards, his handymen, and everyone else. Roughly 100 people lived in Kalakuta permanently, many of whom traveled with Fela and his band on tour. Fela would always arrange travel accommodations for his people’s convoy.
As his movement grew, the government became increasingly afraid of his potential to influence Nigeria’s citizens to revolt. So, on Friday, February 18, 1977, at around noon, roughly 1000 soldiers surrounded Kalakuta armed with machine guns; the two sides battled each other for nearly 15 hours. The siege finally ended when a generator exploded and the house caught fire; the rebels were forced to surrender. Fela and his mother were thrown out of a window, women were raped, and citizens were beaten with clubs – precisely the type of violence Fela spoke out against.
As a result of this raid, Fela’s mother died. His mother’s death strengthened his religious and spiritual belief. Fela would say, “Christianity and Islam, they are only artificial religions. The reason Christianity and Islam spread (in Africa) is to exploit the people. They (the colonists) are diverting the African minds from their roots.”[vii]
Fela practiced a form of Yoruba religion. The Yoruba are an indigenous African religious group who share a common language and a belief that they are descendants of the first humans. Yoruba believe in God as the supreme power, but, “below God is a plethora of gods and goddesses, the orisa”[viii]. His regular concert venue was called “The Shrine” because of a shrine he had erected featuring the names of Yoruba spirits, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Kwame Nkhruma (the great leader of the Ghanaian independence movement). After her death, his mother was revered as the spirit of rain among his followers. In the middle of his concerts, he would put the music on hold to carry out Yoruba rituals. This religious aspect rounded out the three facets of the Fela Anikulapo Kuti experience: music, politics, and religion.
Despite the raid of his compound, Fela recovered without missing a beat; his performances picked up, and he eventually set off for a European tour in 1980. When he returned, in 1981, the government promoted a propaganda campaign to make him “Public Enemy Number One.” In December 1981, the army staged a surprise attack on Kalakuta. This time, they used tear gas to force the residents out. The soldiers then ransacked the house, and beat children, men, women, and even pregnant women with their clubs. Fela’s wives were whipped with chains and Fela himself was seriously beaten. Once he was in jail, the government attempted to frame him for armed robbery (which was punishable by death at that time). The case did not hold up in court, and he only served 10 days in jail before being released due to a lack of evidence.
A battered, but not defeated, Fela returned to The Shrine the same night. Fela’s speech was more defiant than ever; he spoke with ferocity and fire as he told his followers what happened to him. Backstage, he says he still plans to run for president in the 1983 election. A no longer soft-spoken Kuti challenged, “If they (the government) think I’m going to change or compromise my attitude or my way of life, in my expression or in my goal, what’s politics? They are making me stronger, and I’m much more stronger now.”[ix] Notwithstanding his faithful followers, the government kept Fela’s name off the election ballot.
However, despite Fela’s defiant attitude, the government was slowly winning its war against Fela and his followers. By this point, Fela’s wives were down from 27 to 15; the government’s attacks on his people were becoming more frequent and more violent. By the 1990s, his music output was far less prolific and eventually came to a complete halt. Rumors spread that he was terminally ill, and his silence only provided fuel to these rumors.
Finally, on August 3, 1997, his brother announced Fela had died just the day before from an AIDS-related illness. The people of Nigeria were in complete shock after receiving the news of his death. Over 1 million people attended his funeral, which was held at the site of his old Shrine.
Today, Kuti’s message has reached a wider audience than he could have ever imagined. During his life, he could count Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney as his fans and he performed with the likes of Ginger Baker, Bono, and Carlos Santana; however, a slew of artists would go on to be influenced by Fela. The sound of Fela’s music has found itself to be a great influence on the American rap genre. Artists such as Alicia Keys, Blackalicious, Busta Rhymes, Canibus, Missy Elliott, Mos Def, Nas, The Roots, Timbaland, and X Clan have sampled his music. Rapper Mos Def has been especially outspoken about his love for Fela, not only sampling his music, but, Mos Def also chose to include a sample of one of Fela’s famous speeches as the intro for the lead single “Quiet Dog Bite Hard” from his most recent album The Ecstatic (2009). Rapper Common even has a song entitled “Time Travelin’ (A Tribute to Fela)” on his album Like Water for Chocolate (2000). Furthermore, drummer ?uestlove of rap group The Roots recently posted a four minute YouTube documentary[x] on the relationship between Fela Kuti and Hip Hop in an attempt to showcase how deep Fela’s influence is on rap music and Hip Hop culture. Lastly, in 2008 an off-Broadway play titled “Fela!” was co-produced by the likes of Jay-Z, Will Smith, and Jada Pinkett-Smith and was received with rave reviews. Just recently, “Fela!” was nominated for 11 Tony awards, including the nomination for Best Musical.
Fela’s son Femi continues his father’s legacy with his own Afro-beat band that tours around the world, even stopping in Austin several times for the Austin City Limits music festival; Femi has also recorded with American rappers Common and Mos Def. Most recently, Focus Features announced this year they would begin filming a movie about the life of Fela and are hoping to release the film in 2011.[xi]
Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s influence on modern music and politics is undeniable. Fela’s story and themes within his life and his music are very identifiable with Hip Hop culture. Early themes in Hip Hop such as opposition to police, having a rebel spirit, and openly expressing displeasure with the government all likely stemmed from Fela’s music and lifestyle. Not to mention, both Fela’s music and rap are usually percussion-led and feature melody in repetition.
He was one of the pioneers of the pan-African movement and influenced countless African-American and African political theorists. This newfound “Fela Revival” seems not yet to have hit its peak, so only the future will tell us just how far and wide Fela’s influence will reach. Perhaps Fela was right when he said, “They can’t kill me, I can’t die, I won’t die…”[xii] The spirit of Fela lives on to this day and will continue on into the future.
[i] Music Is The Weapon 1982, Stephane tchal-Gadjieff & Jean Jacques Flori, (Universal).
[iii] Music Is The Weapon 1982, Stephane tchal-Gadjieff & Jean Jacques Flori, (Universal).
[iv] Falola, Toyin. Page 177, Culture and Customs of Nigeria. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing, 2001.
[v] Music Is The Weapon 1982, Stephane tchal-Gadjieff & Jean Jacques Flori, (Universal).
[vi] Music Is The Weapon 1982, Stephane tchal-Gadjieff & Jean Jacques Flori, (Universal).
[vii] Music Is The Weapon 1982, Stephane tchal-Gadjieff & Jean Jacques Flori, (Universal).
[viii] Falola, Toyin. Page 35, Culture and Customs of Nigeria. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing, 2001.
[ix] Music Is The Weapon 1982, Stephane tchal-Gadjieff & Jean Jacques Flori, (Universal).
[x] Thompson, Ahmir “?uestlove.” “The Funky African: Questlove on Fela” Video. 24 Feb 2010. Accessed 2 May 2010.
[xi] Music Is The Weapon 1982, Stephane tchal-Gadjieff & Jean Jacques Flori, (Universal).
[xii] Music Is The Weapon 1982, Stephane tchal-Gadjieff & Jean Jacques Flori, (Universal).
